Appreciating Srila Prabhupada's Mercy
When Srila Prabhupada came to America in 1965 he did not think he would be successful. But still he make the sincere endeavor to establish this movement because this was the order of his spiritual master and also a manifestation of his intense compassion for fallen, suffering souls of this age. I was blessed with the greatest good fortune of being with him in Atlanta on March 2, 1975 when he described to the assembled devotees as follows:
So when I was seventy years old I decided, "Now I must do and execute the order of my Guru Maharaja. And thus this movement was started in 1965 from New York. And I was not very much hopeful because it is very difficult task, just opposite the European and Western culture. I came. When I first came, I had no money. So I got a free passage through some Indian steam navigation company. So I came by ship. So when I was on the ship at Boston port, Commonwealth port, I was thinking that "I have come here. I do not know what is the purpose because how the people will accept this movement? They are differently educated, and as soon as I will say, 'So, my dear sir, you have to give up meat-eating and illicit sex and no intoxication and gambling,' they will say, 'Please go home.' " (laughter) Because that was the experience of one of my Godbrother. He went to London, and he had the opportunity to talk with one big man, Marquis of Zetland. Marquis of Zetland was formerly governor of Bengal. At that time I was student. He was Scotsman, and I was student of the Scottish Churches' College. So he came to see our college, and he was standing in front of me in the second-year class. So he was very nice, good gentleman. So he proposed to my Godbrother, "Whether you can make me a brahmana?" So my Godbrother proposed, "Yes, we can make anyone brahmana provided you follow this principle: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." So that Lord Zetland immediately replied, "Impossible." (laughter) So I was thinking that "I will propose something which is impossible. Anyway, let me try."
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When Srila Prabhupada said, "Let me try," I immediately understood that it was only because of his trying to give us Krishna consciousness working against seemingly hopeless odds that we were saved from our endless misery and blessed with eternal transcendental bliss. In appreciation of this I called out "jaya" and then the other devotees joined me in this, cheering "Jaya!. Hari bol!" In this way all of us expressed our appreciation of our most merciful spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, our savior and the savior of the fallen souls.
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Now my question is: How to develop personal loving relationships with Krishna and with people?
When I chant japa, I try to talk with Krishna in my thoughts, I tell Him how I am doing and how I like Him and pray for guidance and like that. Is it all right or I should clearly focus on the sound of Krishnas name and talk with Him separately from japa. How to develop more personal relationships with Krishna? Can you give some ideas?
I think about how much of the impersonalism sickness people and also myself have. We have problem to communicate and to really understand each other. How to solve this problem?
Dear Gurudeva, please guide my life out of bewilderment and confusion. Please give one drop of mercy, because on my own, I cannot even maintain my life, what to speak of living it in Krishna consciousness. What a great fortune for this insignificant to be in contact with you and that you look at me and speak. My only wish is to hear from you and that someday your work would bring some fruits in me. Actually it would be natural, I just have to open my heart and let this love flow in.
Your useless student
Beg Krishna to engage you fully in His service. This should be your focus when you chant japa. Outside of japa you can pray to Krishna in so many ways, telling everything about yourself and your spiritual desires, your difficulties, and begging Him to help you over your difficulties.
To solve the impersonalism problem with other devotees engage as much as possible with the devotees in the loving exchanges given by Rupa Goswami:
(1) giving charity to the devotees
(2) accepting from the devotees whatever they may offer in return
(3) opening one's mind to the devotees
(4) inquiring from them about the confidential service of the Lord
(5) honoring prasada, or spiritual food, given by the devotees
(6) feeding the devotees with prasada.
The fruits are already there within you in a seed-like state. You simply learn to recognize them by seeing everything through the eyes of the scriptures.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
So when I was seventy years old I decided, "Now I must do and execute the order of my Guru Maharaja. And thus this movement was started in 1965 from New York. And I was not very much hopeful because it is very difficult task, just opposite the European and Western culture. I came. When I first came, I had no money. So I got a free passage through some Indian steam navigation company. So I came by ship. So when I was on the ship at Boston port, Commonwealth port, I was thinking that "I have come here. I do not know what is the purpose because how the people will accept this movement? They are differently educated, and as soon as I will say, 'So, my dear sir, you have to give up meat-eating and illicit sex and no intoxication and gambling,' they will say, 'Please go home.' " (laughter) Because that was the experience of one of my Godbrother. He went to London, and he had the opportunity to talk with one big man, Marquis of Zetland. Marquis of Zetland was formerly governor of Bengal. At that time I was student. He was Scotsman, and I was student of the Scottish Churches' College. So he came to see our college, and he was standing in front of me in the second-year class. So he was very nice, good gentleman. So he proposed to my Godbrother, "Whether you can make me a brahmana?" So my Godbrother proposed, "Yes, we can make anyone brahmana provided you follow this principle: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." So that Lord Zetland immediately replied, "Impossible." (laughter) So I was thinking that "I will propose something which is impossible. Anyway, let me try."
--------------
When Srila Prabhupada said, "Let me try," I immediately understood that it was only because of his trying to give us Krishna consciousness working against seemingly hopeless odds that we were saved from our endless misery and blessed with eternal transcendental bliss. In appreciation of this I called out "jaya" and then the other devotees joined me in this, cheering "Jaya!. Hari bol!" In this way all of us expressed our appreciation of our most merciful spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, our savior and the savior of the fallen souls.
You can hear a recording of the above lecture excerpt in the section below my signature. Here's where you can hear a recording of the above "Let Me Try" lecture excerpt: https://youtu.be/U5ewx2tmokE
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Answers by Citing the Vedic Version
Question: How to Develop Loving Relationships?
My Dear Gurudeva,Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Now my question is: How to develop personal loving relationships with Krishna and with people?
When I chant japa, I try to talk with Krishna in my thoughts, I tell Him how I am doing and how I like Him and pray for guidance and like that. Is it all right or I should clearly focus on the sound of Krishnas name and talk with Him separately from japa. How to develop more personal relationships with Krishna? Can you give some ideas?
I think about how much of the impersonalism sickness people and also myself have. We have problem to communicate and to really understand each other. How to solve this problem?
Dear Gurudeva, please guide my life out of bewilderment and confusion. Please give one drop of mercy, because on my own, I cannot even maintain my life, what to speak of living it in Krishna consciousness. What a great fortune for this insignificant to be in contact with you and that you look at me and speak. My only wish is to hear from you and that someday your work would bring some fruits in me. Actually it would be natural, I just have to open my heart and let this love flow in.
Your useless student
Answer: Through Service
Love is developed through rendering service. It is not theoretical. It is practical.Beg Krishna to engage you fully in His service. This should be your focus when you chant japa. Outside of japa you can pray to Krishna in so many ways, telling everything about yourself and your spiritual desires, your difficulties, and begging Him to help you over your difficulties.
To solve the impersonalism problem with other devotees engage as much as possible with the devotees in the loving exchanges given by Rupa Goswami:
(1) giving charity to the devotees
(2) accepting from the devotees whatever they may offer in return
(3) opening one's mind to the devotees
(4) inquiring from them about the confidential service of the Lord
(5) honoring prasada, or spiritual food, given by the devotees
(6) feeding the devotees with prasada.
The fruits are already there within you in a seed-like state. You simply learn to recognize them by seeing everything through the eyes of the scriptures.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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